Okay, I won't be discussing Act 2 in this post. Instead, it's about how I spec my Ranger. The process was 100% trial and error in the first playthrough, so my ranger build doesn't have a defining identity. Things went much smoother in my alternate Tav (i.e. the second) playthrough. Before I continue, I decide to up a Hunter Ranger build video, which is much better than my build.
Storm Hunter build
Introduction:
This is my take on the Stormwarden subclass in the earlier versions of DnD. I remember this being my favourite subclass when playing Neverwinter Online years ago. Of course, are there better takes on the so-called Stormwarden build within the BG3 community? I wouldn't be surprised if the answer is yes. Because the official subclass being used is the Hunter, I decided to call this the Storm Hunter build.
Race:
Different races do have different perks. So choose the one that suits you most. I go with Wood Elf due to its proficiency in Perception and additional movement speed. Half-Wood Elf is a viable option, but it doesn't have proficiency in Perception. At the same time, it doesn't have the Human's option to choose an additional proficiency. Human is also a good choice due to the additional proficiency, which can make your Human a pseudo-Elf. In fact, Perception, together with Persuasion and Sleight of Hand, are the most utilised skills in the game.
Favoured Enemy:
This is another aspect of the Ranger which I don't consider gameplay-defining apart from Bounty Hunter. But even then, choosing Bounty Hunter is more about your playing style than anything else. There are those who use Ensnaring Strike as their primary Concentration spell and those who (like me) choose Hunter's Mark. Of course, you can use both. But you'll need to know when to use one and the other. If you're playing as a pure level 12 Ranger or a level 11 Ranger multiclassing with a level 1 in another class, then it's possible you'll be using both. In this case, however, this build is a multiclass build revolving around the Ranger class that uses more than one level of another class. I'm going with Ranger Knight, as History checks often trigger in Act 1. At the same time, if you want good heavy armour asap, just fight Edowin's siblings for the chainmail armour.
Natural Explorer:
Natural Explorer is... I don't know how to put it. Urban Tracker is good because you'll use Sleight of Hand frequently unless you're not the party's resident klepto. Beast Tamer gives you cannon fodder during fights. Wasteland Wanderer is where I have specific issues with Natural Explorer. Fire damage occurs occasionally in this game, with poison and cold damage on rare occasions. Useful in certain fights (e.g. Lorroakan, if you fail to go first, cast Silence. and bust him within the first turn), but not often enough. Apart from Urban Tracker, I'd say Natural Explorer isn't gameplay-defining. Go with Wasteland Explorer: Fire if you're not the resident klepto, as fire damage is more common than cold or poison.
Background:
I find Backgrounds to be more about RP than anything else. If you want to go 100% orthodox Ranger, then Outlander is the way. If you wish to emulate Drizzt Do'Urden, then go for Folk Hero. If you want to role-play a Ranger of faith, then Acolyte is a good choice. Soldier or Urchin is a good choice if you want a worldlier Ranger. In particular, Soldier inspirations are easy to get. If you want to do an inspiration Pokemon spree, Soldier is a good choice. Counter-intuitive choices would include Criminal and Guild Artisan. My personal choice? Soldier.
Stats:
Strength-10
Dexterity-16
Constitution-14
Intelligence-9
Wisdom-14
Charisma-12
Unlike other Ranger players, I went for 12 Charisma instead of 10 Charisma and 2 points into Constitution or Wisdom. Dialogue checks happen often, and passing certain dialogue checks gives you certain perks/advantages. An example of this (apart from the Thorm family fights) would be convincing Rolan to stay and fight in Druid Grove. If you pass the check (DC10. And no, the Ranger dialogue option will NOT work), saving the Tiefling refugees later in Act 2 would yield additional XP. In fact, you can get around 700+ XP in total, compared to only 200+ if you didn't convince him to stay. A +1 in dialogue check is better than nothing at all. Of course, a 16 in Consitution does help in terms of HP and passing Concentration saves, while a +1 in passing Wisdom checks and saves is always welcomed. It depends on what you want, as the difference of +1 in Charisma checks isn't going to change the build.
Intelligence is a moot stat more often than not unless you're running a Wizard or some other builds relying on Intelligence checks. Interestingly, running a High Elf/Half-High Elf Warlock would probably involve getting the Intelligence up to 17 via Warped Headband of Intellect due to the Fire Bolt cantrip. If I'm to run to run a Rogue, however, I wouldn't mind setting it at 10 instead of 8 just for class flavour. That plus Rogues have proficiency in Intelligence saving throws, so I'd prefer a +4 instead of a +3.
For Strength, this build doesn't need much of it due to the gear choice. It's not like this is about running an Aragorn/Gwaeron Windstrom build. Getting it up to 10 is more for inventory capacity and having better Strength saving checks. Then there's the fact that Rangers have proficiency with Strength saving checks. Getting Strength to 10 does ensure you get a +4 bonus instead of +3.
Constitution at 14 would be decent. If you want more HP and better Concentration checks, you can set it to 16 at Strength's expense (i.e. Strength 8).
Wisdom at 14 is more for saving checks than anything else. I don't know if this is true, but someone mentioned that Wisdom saves are the most common ones in the game. At the same time, a particular gear would mean getting Wisdom to 14 is necessary.
Skill proficiency:
Sleight of Hand (due to Urban Tracker)
Athletics (due to Soldier background)
Perception (due to Wood Elf racial trait)
Intimidation (due to Soldier background)
Insight
Investigation
Nature
I could have gone for Survival instead of Investigation or Nature, but the loot you get from unearthing chests isn't something to shout about. This is more of a personal preference as passive Intelligence checks do trigger at times, and I'm one for gleaning additional information. Insight? That skill triggers often enough in Act 1 and 2 for me to take it. Apart from Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Perception, none of the skills in BG3 are considered gameplay-defining.
Character level 1-Ranger level 1
This is your starting point.
Character level 2-Rogue level 1
I went counter-intuitive because being a Rogue gives you expertise in two skills you're proficient in and proficiency for two skills due to multiclassing. This results in a more evenly rounded approach focusing on Persuasion and Sleight of Hand. The former is for dialogue checks and better buy-and-selling, while the latter is because my version of this build is meant to be the resident klepto. I don't find any point in having two party members with Sleight of Hand proficiency.
Additional proficiency:
Acrobatics/Deception
Persuasion
Expertise:
Sleight of Hand
Persuasion
Character level 3-Ranger level 2
From this point, I'll be levelling up the Ranger aspect until level 5 due to Extra Attack.
Fighting Style:
Two-Weapon Fighting
Spell choice:
Enhanced Leap
Speak With Animals
For my spell choices, I opted for utility rather than combat. Both are not gameplay-defining, but the fact is that Ranger spells gravitate towards the utility side instead of combat. Passing up Ensaring Strike and Hunter's Mark for now isn't going to break the game for me. That plus Scratch and the owlbear cub. Speak With Animals would add so much flavour when it comes to the dynamic duo of absolute cuteness.
Character level 4-Ranger level 3
Subclass:
Hunter
Hunter's Prey:
Colossus Slayer
Additional spell choice:
Hunter's Mark
This is where the fun part starts. Hunter's Mark works well in lower levels for spell usage due to limited spell slots. At this point, you only have 3 spell slots. If your Concentration gets broken, you'll need another spell slot to cast it. For Hunter's Prey, it's a toss-up between Colossus Slayer and Horde Breaker. I feel that Horde Breaker is better for archery and tank builds. With that said, Horde Breaker is situational in nature, while Colossus Slayer's usage applies in any and every fight. Even in fights involving more than one enemy, it's not a given that you'll have two or more bunched together. Yes, it happens. But not always. Giant Killer comes across as niche to me. Large or bigger enemies don't pop up all the time.
Character level 5-Ranger level 4
Feat: Ability Improvement
At this point, getting your primary stat to 18 is imperative. While Alert seems tempting, going first over a stat score of 18 doesn't make much sense. Granted, fighting the Beholder in the Underdark and obtaining the adamantine ore at the forge library involves getting ambushed. But getting surprised won't break the fight for you. As for Auntie Ethel, I believe the fight in her lair now involves her appearing and trash-talking your party instead of jumping on you. Alert, as a feat, is more about guaranteed going first than anything else. However, getting ambushed by Yurgir will probably be a real pain in the neck. By that time, though, you should have your second feat.
Character level 6-Ranger level 5
Additional spell choice:
Spike Growth
5 is the magic number for martial classes. At level 5, it's Extra Attack time. This is also where you'll unlock level 2 spell slots. If Hunter's Mark is about one specific enemy, then Spike Growth is about targeting the entire mob. Or at least most of it.
Character level 7-Rogue level 2
You're clearly on your way to the most crucial part of the build. For me, I have little to no need for Cunning Action. The next level is where the fun starts. Namely...
Character level 8-Rogue level 3
Subclass:
Thief
The Thief subclass is the reason why this build will work. In fact, barring specific cases (i.e. builds dual-wielding one or two non-light weapons), Thief should be a must for dual-wielding builds. At this point, this is where the build starts to peak. Also, Sneak Attack at this level can deal 20+ damage.
Character level 9-Rogue level 4
Feat:
Alert
Now, I know what some of you may be thinking. That I'm as barking mad as Donald Trump. While I don't claim to be a stable genius, I find Alert a good feat. I have it for all my party members for every playthrough, regardless of Dexterity. Being able to go first can give a massive advantage in any fight. In Act 2 and beyond, the fights would get more challenging. While I wouldn't say the best-case scenario is busting the enemy within the first turn, being able to stun any boss in the first turn, after which the HP has already gone down by more than half, means the fight is pretty much done. That happened in my alternate playthrough against Lyrthindor with Lae'zel stunning him with her great Gith sword. Having 112 HP doesn't matter. Even if we're talking about a Life Cleric (e.g. my default Shadowheart choice), having the option to go first means Bless can be cast immediately. Note that the initiative order doesn't matter for your party as long as the character portraits are lined consecutively. In short, DON'T rely on auto-mode if you have a Cleric in your party when it comes to casting Bless. That is unless your Cleric is never about casting Bless (e.g. Tempest domain Clerics and just about any Clerics running with Luminous Armour and Spirit Guardians like a living nuke).
Character level 10-Ranger level 6
Favoured Enemy:
Sanctified Stalker
Natural Explorer:
Beast Tamer
At this point, running Bounty Hunter as a Favoured Enemy choice is pointless. The reason is that Rangers have limited spell slots. For AoE, you have Spiked Growth. For single-target, you have Hunter's Mark. This makes Ensnaring Strike pointless. In fact, I suspect the Ranger's offensive spell gameplay is all about forcing the players to choose two out of the given three: Hunter's Mark, Ensnaring Strike, and Spike Growth. As for Keeper of the Veil, Protection from Good and Evil is a Concentration spell. In short, it's bound to bugger up your combat spell gameplay unless you're using options like Hail of Thorns, Conjure Barrage, and Lightning Arrow. True Strike? That one is officially buggered. It's a tragedy that True Strike isn't a bonus action (that is, unless you're wielding Bloodthirst in your off-hand slot). Larian could have made it so Sneak Attack couldn't profit from it. This comes to Sacred Flame. Now, this cantrip can be seen as the cause of many Cleric users' annoyance. Passed the Dex save? Take no damage. On the flip side, you can cast it anywhere so long it's within range. It's effectively a case of shooting blind. With that said, I cast Sacred Flame in a specific situation: When I'm confident the potential damage can take out the enemy while having at least 80% hit chance. That's where I'm willing to risk a Sacred Flame meme. The possibility of that happening is definitely low, considering this build is running with a Wisdom score of 14 instead of 18.
Running Sanctified Stalker is more for Religion proficiency than anything else. Would it matter for the Mirror of Loss? The answer is no due to the DC25 check. Favoured Enemy functions more for role-playing than actual gameplay. Which is a shame as Larian can utilise enemy types instead of proficiencies. An example list would look like this:
Favoured Enemy: Gives +2 damage roll against specific enemy types and proficiency in particular skills.
Bounty Hunter: +2 damage roll against Beasts and proficiency in Investigation
Keeper of the Veil: +2 damage roll against Aberrations and proficiency in Arcana
Mage Breaker: +2 damage roll against Spellcasters and proficiency in Arcana
Ranger Knight: +2 damage roll against Fiends and proficiency in History
Sanctified Stalker: +2 damage roll against Undead and proficiency in Religion
For Beast Tamer, the summoned minion is more of a cannon fodder than anything else. It's a viable option since it takes a short rest to recast.
Character level 11-Ranger level 7
Additional spell choice:
Fog Cloud
Defensive Tactics:
Multiattack Defence
Why Fog Cloud at this point, one may ask. The reason is straightforward. In Act 3, Fog Cloud helps a lot, as opening unearthed chests in the city is considered a crime. Using Fog Cloud helps a lot in not getting into trouble. At the same time, there are at least two instances where Fog Cloud helps greatly. The first is to steal the two runepowder barrels in the Ironhand Gnomes' hideout. In Balanced mode, throwing them in succession against the Netherbrain greatly helps the fight. Then there's the lockpicking of the Steel Foundry gate, where it's extremely easy to get busted. By the time you get to Act 3, you should be at level 10. So get the runepowder bomb from Wulbren early on (you'll need it if you want to enter House of Hope and exit Raphael's base alive) and leave the barrel stealing for later when you reach level 11. This also means leaving the Steel Foundry quests until you reach that point. Alternatively, you can use Gale to cast Fog Cloud.
As for Multiattack Defence, it's the most straightforward choice. Frightened status is rarely applied, so Steel Will isn't a good choice. Escape the Horde is more for archery builds. This leaves Multiattack Defence as the only option. Throughout the game, there's every chance that you'll fight enemies who can multi-attack.
Character level 12-Ranger level 8
Feat:
Ability Improvement
This is the final step to get your primary stat up to 20. Once you get to level 12, chances are you can still do quite a bit of questing before entering the point of no return. I like this approach from Larian as it gives me enough space to enjoy the game at level cap.
Gear
Gear-wise, this build is easy to spec. In fact, you can get the gear setup working as early as Act 1, with Acts 2 and 3 being more about improvements than anything else.
Act 1:
Ritual Dagger, Knife of the Undermountain King, Firestoker, Hand Crossbow +1, Diadem of Arcane Synergy, Hide Armour +2, Gloves of Power/Gloves of Baneful Striking, Boots of Stormy Clamour, Amulet of Misty Step, Ring of Absolute Force, Strange Conduit Ring
For Act 1, Ritual Dagger in your main hand is good due to the Bless status upon hit. Knife of the Undermountain King is for the Organ Rearranger trait. There aren't many decent choices for hand crossbows, so Firestoker and Hand Crossbow +1 are the best you can get. It's either that or two Hand Crossbows +1. Diadem of Arcane Synergy is meant to synergise with the Bane and Reverbration statuses. A consistent proc means your Arcane Synergy will be up 100% of the time. At Wisdom 14, the weapon damage bonus will be at +2. If you want to set your Strength to 8 for a 16 Wisdom, having a +3 damage as a tradeoff for a +3 Strength save is perfectly fine. Hide Armour +2 is good for Rangers running as kleptos. Otherwise, you can run with a Chain Shirt +2. Gloves of Power does proc consistently despite the tooltip implying a more probability-based approach. In fact, Gloves of Power's insane consistency actually extends to Act 2. If you want to play it safe (either that or you don't have Mark of the Absolute), Gloves of Baneful Striking is an alternative. Apparently, a bug with this gear resulted in a 100% proc instead of a probability-based proc. Boots of Stormy Clamour is a no-brainer due to how the Reverbration proc. Amulet of Misty Step is for tactical positioning since you'll have decent ranged attack options. Ring of Absolute Force is for the additional Thunder damage for Reverberation, while Strange Conduit Ring is for Hunter's Mark and Spike Growth usage.
Act 2:
Sword of Clutching Umbra/Sword of Life Stealing, Knife of the Undermountain King, Hellfire Hand Crossbow, Ne'er Misser, Diadem of Arcane Synergy, Thunderskin Cloak/Cloak of Protection, Yuan-Ti Scale Mail, Braindrain Gloves, Boots of Stormy Clamour, Amulet of Misty Step, Ring of Spiteful Thunder/Risky Ring, Strange Conduit Ring
In Act 2, you can switch Ritual Dagger for Sword of Clutching Umbra due to Shadowsoaked Blow. Alternatively, you can go with Sword of Life Stealing. Hellfire Hand Crossbow and Ne'er Misser are excellent. The former is BiS for hand crossbows with free Scorching Rays per short rest. Ne'er Misser deals Force damage, which very few (if any) enemies have resistance to. That, plus a free Magic Missile cast per short rest, means you have plenty of tactical options in a fight. Thunderskin Cloak is to proc the Daze status. Yuan-Ti Scale Mail is arguably the best medium armour in Act 2 due to Exotic Material and Ambusher. Braindrain Gloves is meant to synergise with Strange Conduit Ring. Mental Fatigue, together with Reverberation, means you'll be tripping damage like crazy. As for Ring of Spiteful Thunder, it maximises the chance of inducing Daze as the Thunderskin Cloak effect only triggers if an enemy with Reverberation targets the wearer. Alternatively, you can opt for Cloak of Protection with Ring of Absolute Force. Risky Ring is a good alternative, as you can Sneak Attack for free. Together with Extra Attack, you can deal 30+ damage from your main-hand weapon per turn. And that's not including your off-hand weapon damage. However, the drawback lies in disadvantage in saving throws. This can easily result in your Hunter's Mark game getting messed up, hence disrupting the Reverberation and Mental Fatigue aspects of your game. Personally, I'm not comfortable with that. But if you're more into melee combat, Sneak Attack can proc if you have another melee attacker in the party and are within proper range to pull it off.
Act 3:
Crimson Mischief, Ambusher, Hellfire Hand Crossbow, Ne'er Misser/Hand Crossbow +2, Diadem of Arcane Synergy, Cloak of Protection, Armour of Agility, Braindrain Gloves, Boots of Stormy Clamour, Amulet of Misty Step, Risky Ring, Strange Conduit Ring
This is where the end game starts. Crimson Mischief is a no-brainer. Prey Upon the Weak stacks with Colossus Slayer when the target is below 50% HP. If you're running with Risky Ring, the reward is even more significant with Redvein Savagery. As always, however, Risky Ring heightens your chances of disruption where Reverberation and Mental Fatigue are concerned. This is where Cloak of Protection and Armour of Agility comes in. A +3 saving throw bonus can offset or at least greatly alleviate the disadvantage in saving throws. As for Ambusher, the advantage in Perception checks and a +1 Initiative is too good to pass up. At the same time, Ambusher's Streak can be triggered multiple times for a dual-wielding build, be it ranged or melee. This means you'll be dealing 4-24 Necrotic damage in total. For Ne'er Misser, you can replace it with Hand Crossbow +2 if you want additional damage. However, Piercing damage resistance is far more common than Force damage resistance.
Note: If you donated blood to Araj Oblodra in Act 2, she will be present in Act 3. This means you can hold off purchasing Risky Ring until you purchased Armour of Agility in Act 3, as long as you donated blood in Act 2. Bhaalist Armour is the offensive alternative to Armour of Agility. Ambusher for this armour now gives +2 Initiative instead of +1. With Ambusher (i.e. the weapon), that'd go up to +3. However, Aura of Murder does not apply to enemies with Piercing damage resistance or immunity. That plus it doesn't give you bonus in saving throws.
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